Poatina residents made up a large proportion of community members who attended an information session on The Great Lakes Battery project, a battery that could connect into Australia’s national electricity grid and provide 280MW power capacity and store up to 560 MWh of energy.
The Great Lakes Battery will be located near the existing Palmerston substation, approximately 2.5km north-east of Poatina.
Representatives from project developer Neoen set up an extensive information display in the Cressy Community Centre and a steady stream of people dropped in on May 31 between 2pm and 7pm.
The Great Lakes battery will be located within the Central Highlands Regional Energy Zone and could have a role to play in supporting the State Government to achieve a smooth transition towards its goal of 200 per cent renewable energy output
“At this early stage in the project’s development no decision has been made about which, of a number of leading battery technologies, will be used,” Neoen state leader Tom Jenkins said.
“Whichever battery technology is chosen, the Great Lakes Battery will provide stability for the region by dispatching stored energy to the grid during peak times of demand.”
Neoen has a strong track record in delivering big batteries in Australia and around the world, with its 150MW Hornsdale Power Reserve, more commonly known as the ‘Tesla Big Battery’, being the world’s first big battery.
Its 300MW Victorian Big Battery, near Geelong, is now Australia’s biggest and The Great Lakes Battery would be a close second.
Once construction begins, the battery will take around 18 months to complete and the battery and its infrastructure will cover up to 4 hectares of land.
However there is a long two to three year process of government submissions and approvals to achieve, a grid connection agreement, service contract, contracting and finance before construction could begin.
A similar proposal by Akaysha Energy about a year ago did not get off the ground.
Digital images showing the battery superimposed on photos taken from nearby roadside viewing points demonstrated minimal aesthetic impact – the lithium-ion batteries, enclosed in custom designed dust and waterproof steel cabinets, looking more like a row of wrapped hay bales in the distance.
With a life span of at least 20 years, the batteries will store energy in times of high production and release energy in times of high demand, similar to how a battery on a home solar system works. It will also help to stabilise the grid with an emergency response mode to prevent blackouts.
It is expected the Great Lakes Battery will create a significant number of construction plus full-time ongoing positions and well as provide opportunities for local suppliers, businesses, schools, and community groups.
Steve Hamilton from Poatina, an electrician by trade, was keen to see how the Great Lakes Battery differed from a similar proposal from another proponent about 12 months ago.
He said while it’s right in Poatina’s back yard, these sorts of developments are important for the national grid and to assist with the transition to renewable energy.
“Poatina Village could potentially benefit if this was to go ahead, and we need to understand what we could provide during construction – we have a servo up there and they’re going to need fuel, accommodation, the general store.”